Agreement finally reached to knock Laois Celtic Tiger houses

An agreement has finally been reached on the knocking of Celtic Tiger houses at Hepburn Court in Portlaoise.

Laois County Council is pushing ahead with the demolition of four of the twelve houses in the estate on the Ballyfin Road, Portlaoise despite one house in the estate still being in conveyancing.

Four houses numbers 9,10,11 and 12, as well as the meeting hall and squash club structure, are planned to be demolished, the notice of the proposed development is published in today’s Leinster Express newspaper.

Laois County Council intends to demolish four of the buildings, making a three-acre site combined with the adjoining field, for a new council estate.

A preliminary design for the future of the site shows the potential for 54 new houses including building on attached land after the houses, however, this is expected to be a slow process as the plans are not yet published or the demolition has not taken place. The houses were first boarded up in 2013 and it has almost six years to reach demolition.

In August, 2018 Compulsory Purchase Orders were approved by An Bord Pleanála to Laois County Council, for the forced purchase of the last three houses in Hepburn Court estate.

Plans are also in place to knock six houses in O’Moore place, Mountmellick Road, Portlaoise.

Six houses will be demolished, four of which are in the middle of the estate thus allowing for a view into the field to open the area out.

Plans published today outline that houses 43, 45, 47, 49, 65 and 66 will be knocked with the provision on new car parking spaces and height restriction barrier at sites 65 and 66 as well as a new turning circle and bollards for emergency service vehicles at sites 43, 45, 47 and 49.

Fire engines or ambulances will be able to drive down and turn in the estate, instead of having to reverse out as is now the case.

These plans for the regeneration of O’Moore Place and Hepburn Court open the potential for close to 90 new houses to be built in this part of the town.

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